Direct printing component architecture for installed printers

Abstract

A driverless direct-printing method between a client computer and a direct-printing-enabled printer. A working relationship for direct printing is established through a set of dynamically configurable modules whose conditions for document native-format direct printing are established from printer data in database structure which has been pre-collected, at least in part, by a printer discovery process. Aside from the presence of a printer discovery module which helps to populate the database structure just mentioned, other configurable modules include a print menu selection module, a job control generation module, a print job construction nodule, and a scheduling/spooling/despooling module.

1 . A driverless direct-printing method implementable between a client computer and a selectable direct-printing-enabled printer which is operatively connected to the computer, said method comprising 
 utilizing the client computer, discovering, with respect to such printer, the actual, current printing capabilities thereof, and the related printing settings associated therewith, required for client-computer invocation of those capabilities and settings, and    at a point in time following that discovering, and on the occurrence of a request to the client computer for the undertaking of a direct-printing print job regarding a selected job document having an associated native format, appropriately dynamically configuring the client computer to generate, prepare and communicate that job document, in its native format, for direct printing by that printer utilizing the discovered actual current printing capabilities and related, associated settings for that printer.    
   
   
       2 . A driverless method implementable by a client computer in an associated network to enable client-invoked direct printing of a print-job document in its native format by a selected one of accessible direct-printing-enabled printers comprising 
 initiating, from the client computer, a printer-information discovery process to ascertain (a) the identities of any such network-connected printers, and (b) the actual, specific, current performance capabilities and related operational settings, of the respective, so-identified printers,    following said initiating and ascertaining, creating an identified-printer database containing the respective ascertained capabilities and settings, and    on the basis of a request being placed with the client computer for the implementation of a direct-printing job regarding a selected job document which has an associated native format, and utilizing printer-specific information regarding capabilities and settings contained in the created database, dynamically configuring, generating and communicating that job document, in its native format, for direct printing by a selected one of the identified printers.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said configuring, generating and communicating are collectively enabled/accomplished (1) by the pre-constructing, for use in and by the client computer, of a collection of available, dynamically configurable, inter-relatable, direct-printing-associated functional modules including (a) a printer discovery module, (b) a print menu selection module, (c) a job control generation module, (d) a print job construction module, and (e) a scheduling/spooling/despooling module, and (2) by then dynamically configuring and employing these modules, as appropriate, and in relation to information contained in the created database, to effect the carrying out of the requested direct-printing job.